Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

Jerrie It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

rightwingisevil the screenplay was so terrible with absolutely unbelievable, highly unlikely, totally improbable scenario and logic premises. but if we could treat it as a nostalgic production wherein we would have the chance to look at that primitive first generation of desktop computer, the handsome christopher reeve, the still middle-aged morgan freeman, and some of those familiar screen faces male and female, then this movie would suddenly become bearable. but if we return to the reality, then this movie suffers great flaws from the very beginning. how could it possible a struggling street journalist could dream up a documentary report on the dark street of new york? this guy got no experience whatsoever in the pimping, whoring and druggie business in new york street, how could he suddenly dream up such topic and pitch it to his magazine employer? and then, how could a knowledgeable magazine boss would buy it? and the district attorney, the huge new york readers would buy it? if this guy is such a genius writer, he wouldn't still be such poor guy still struggles in the basement of the literary society. there are so many fundamentally impossible and unfeasible question marks on this movie's plot and the scenario. it just looked so unrealistic and unconvincing when i watched this movie. it gave me an impression that the screenplay writer(s) being just as naive and amateurish like the main character of this movie. street smart? not in the least.

sol ***SPOILERS*** Far better then you would expect crime drama involving a New York Cty magazine writer Johathan Fisher, Christopher Reeve, who's job is on the line if he doesn't come up with a major story for his magazine and come up with it fast.In order to keep his job Fisher tells his boss magazine editor Ted Avery, Andre Gregory, that he plans to write a hard-hitting expose about prostitution in New York's seedy Times Square district. Fisher plans to do this by chronicling a local New York City Pimp's day on the job. Fisher finds that none of the hookers, by posing as their customer, that he interviews are willing to go beyond their work-habits and how much they want to be paid for them. When it comes to their boss, the pimp or procurer, they clam up and drop their conversation with Fisher altogether.Having a deadline to meet Fisher just makes up this story about a pimp, whom he calls Tyrone, who he's been interviewing about how he does business on the streets. The story by Fisher is so convincing to everyone at the magazine that it becomes the mag's next front-page story! Making Fisher a cause Caleb in the world of undercover journalism both in NYC as well as all over the country. As it soon turned out the fictitious Tyrone that Fisher conjured up is an almost carbon-copy of a real street pimp Leo Smalls-known on the streets as Fast Black-played by Morgan Freeman. What's even more troubling for Fisher is that Fast Black in now standing trial for the murder of one of his hooker's customers. Fast Black had killed him when he complained, and threatened to report him to the cops, that the service that he was getting was far below what he was paying for!The film has Fast Black-who knows that Fisher's story is total BS-use Fisher as an alibi for him in telling the local D.A Lenoard Pike, Jay Patterson, that he was nowhere near the murder scene, of his hooker's dead John, at the time that it happened. This places Fisher in the position,if he wants to stay out of jail, to expose himself as a liar on the stand by telling the world that his story that made him famous was nothing but a made up pipe dream on his part. This would bring his now skyrocketing career in TV news to a sudden and embarrassing end!Despite being a vicious and murderous pimp which is the exact opposite part, as the perpetual good guy, he's been playing since then Morgan Freeman's film career took off and never looked back after his chilling performance as Leo Small/Fast Black in "Street Smarts". Christopher Reeve more then held his own against his co-star by even having Freeman as Fast Black work him, he Chris Reeve the Hollywood Superman of the 1970's and 80's, over and have him almost wet his pants by doing it.***SPOILER ALERT*** It's when Fisher has nothing to lose but his life and the lives of his loved ones that he decides to take Fast Black on. Fisher uses Fast Black's "Main Man" and #1 gofer Reginald, Reggie Liggens, Eric King, to do his dirty work for him by tricking him into thinking that he's cutting, by pimping on the side, in on his boss' territory. The ending of "Street Smart" was a bit contrived in how the "street Smart" Reggie fell for Fisher's obvious trick that he could have easily explained to Fast Black. Still that didn't really take that much away from the films hard hitting approach on prostitution and pimping in the big city. The only thing that didn't make any sense is why Fisher was still able to keep his job after being exposed as a complete fraud as a top news reporter on his top rated news show "Street Smart". A show that exposed people like himself who are dishonest with the very public that their supposed to serve!

Lechuguilla Most viewers give their applause to Morgan Freeman for his performance as a Manhattan street pimp named "Fast Black". But the main note of interest to me in this film is the performance of Kathy Baker as a sympathetic hooker named "Punchy". The story is set entirely in Manhattan, and the main character is a magazine writer named Jonathan (Christopher Reeve). He unwittingly gets involved in a court case involving Fast Black, when he writes a fictional story that everyone assumes to be true.Except for Punchy, none of the characters are particularly interesting. They seem two-dimensional and rather shallow. The plot's pace, by today's standards, is somewhat slow. Scenes involve long camera "takes", and the script is heavy on dialogue. Color cinematography is adequate.With its grimy, dirty urban setting, its tawdry characters, and its slow pace, "Street Smart" reminds me a little of "The Panic In Needle Park" (1971), not really surprising since both films were directed by the same man, Jerry Schatzberg.To its credit, the story in "Street Smart" does address a legal issue faced by contemporary writers. How does a writer convince a court that the writer's "notes" about an article don't exist, when in fact they don't? I guess the writer needs to be aware of all contingencies, especially a high-profile writer like Jonathan who invents characters and stories and then tries to pass them off as non-fiction.While this film may be entertaining and/or informative to some viewers, it just doesn't work for me, aside from the performance of Kathy Baker, mostly because I just couldn't get interested in the film's characters or their tawdry drama.

actingresidue I just finished watching this film and I'm stunned...stunned. Morgan Freeman's performance was the best acting I have seen in a long time. The passion he put into his character was raw and powerful. It had me going "Wow." The movie was interesting- moments of tension. I did not think Christopher Reeve did a great job of his character- mediocre for cinema. He pulled it off well enough to get me into his character. Maybe his mediocre performance was who the character really was. There is no way of knowing the answer to this question. It could be either, or. Everyone you meet in the real world and in fantasy is not a dramatic, stunning personality. There wouldn't be any room for people's egos! Who says his performance was not true of the character. The character was who Reeve was.The message of this film is very true. Don't lie. If you do make a mistake, if you lie, admit up front that you have. Otherwise, it's likely your lie will come back times 3. This is a lesson we should all have to learn one day. I hoped this review pleased someone. Take care and have a joyous and peaceful life. Good bye, Chauncey